News about Heavy Equipment

The president and CEO of a well-known State College-based highway construction company and his wife have established a scholarship at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

Daniel R. and Suzie Hawbaker recently created the Hawbaker Family Scholarship at Penn College. Daniel Hawbaker heads Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc., a firm established in 1952 that performs asphalt paving, road construction, gas well service and construction, and engineering design services in northern Pennsylvania, southern New York and eastern Ohio.

Two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded from the Hawbaker Family Scholarship Fund for the 2015-16 academic year; the recipients will be presented with $500 each in the Fall 2015 and Spring 2016 semesters.

An equipment loan from an Allegheny County-based company will provide Pennsylvania College of Technology students with a state-of-the-art learning tool through the middle of the Spring 2015 semester.

A Komatsu D 37PX bulldozer was made available to the college’s School of Transportation & Natural Resources Technologies by Anderson Equipment Co., with headquarters in Bridgeville and locations in six states.

Pennsylvania State Police made their annual visit to Penn College’s Schneebeli Earth Science Center recently to give students a front-line understanding of the laws and regulations governing commercial traffic on the commonwealth’s highways. Trooper Cory Beaver, along with Motor Carrier Enforcement Officers Dave Kelch and Will Latchet, outlined the extent of responsibility and liability that a servicing technician holds in ensuring that the vehicles they maintain and repair are within guidelines. Diesel technology and heavy construction equipment technology: technician emphasis majors also witnessed an actual roadside commercial vehicle safety evaluation.Photos by Pamela A. Mix, secretary to the ESC executive director and assistant dean of transportation and natural resources technologies

Penn College was among participants in Saturday’s PA Energy Games at the Lycoming County Fairgrounds. The event featured educational exhibits, a heavy equipment rodeo, panel discussions and musical performances. The college was well-represented at Hughesville, with three student teams enrolled in heavy construction equipment technology: operator emphasis competing in a heavy equipment rodeo with industry representatives. In addition, David C. Pistner, director of energy initiatives for the college’s Workforce Development & Continuing Education, moderated a question-and-answer session on Education & Training. In the exhibit hall, Penn College employees and students staffed a busy booth with information about the college’s ShaleNET initiatives and its welding; heating, ventilation & air conditioning; and building sciences majors.

A substantial piece of construction equipment – and a noteworthy segment of neighborhood history – was installed Tuesday near the front of Penn College’s Breuder Advanced Technology and Health Sciences Center. The massive steel blade was lowered onto the former site of the Lycoming Construction Co., which occupied the property from 1943-80. The latter years of that period marked the company’s transition to Allison Crane & Rigging, which delivered the hefty keepsake and provides ongoing employment opportunities for current students and alumni alike. The blade was donated by Larry Allison Jr. in memory of his father, Larry Sr.; his grandfather, Herbert L.; and his great-grandfather, Herbert F., founder of the business. The equipment was provided by the George Logue family, and will be incorporated into the college’s award-winning History Trail with informational signage and attractive landscaping.

Officials at the Wayne Township Landfill in Clinton County have established a scholarship fund to benefit Pennsylvania College of Technology students enrolled in diesel and heavy equipment majors.

The fund will generate two $1,000 awards each year to full-time students from Clinton and Lycoming counties. Preference will be given to those seeking two-year degrees in heavy equipment technology (including the technician, operator and Caterpillar equipment emphases) or diesel technology.

Two Pennsylvania College of Technology students are among 51 of the nation’s highest-achieving construction equipment technology majors awarded tool scholarships from the mikeroweWORKS Foundation.

Receiving scholarships of $1,000 each are Matthew A. Hartzell, of Knox, and Jesse R. Rhodes, of McVeytown, both heavy construction equipment technology: technician emphasis majors. Hartzell is also working toward an associate degree in diesel technology.

The students were selected from Associated Equipment Distributors-accredited or -affiliated technical colleges for their high cumulative GPAs as of the end of the Fall 2013 semester. Penn College is the lone Pennsylvania institution on AED’s list, attaining accreditation for its two-year majors in heavy construction equipment technology: technician emphasis and heavy construction equipment technology: Caterpillar equipment emphasis majors.

Pennsylvania College of Technology will potentially send more than 900 new employees into the job market this month, and the new graduates are poised for success with their workforce-ready skills and specialties.

“Demand for Penn College graduates remains high,” said Paul L. Starkey, vice president for academic affairs/provost. “Programs across campus are reporting graduates accepting employment offers at a rapid pace.”

Contributions to Penn College – some monetary, others in-kind … and all of them crucial to students obtaining “degrees that work” – were celebrated at Wednesday’s 10th annual Donor Wall Recognition Reception in the Student and Administrative Services Center. “I am humbled to once again thank each and every one of you for your support and interest in Penn College.” President Davie Jane Gilmour said. “As you look around our campuses, you should take pride in knowing that your gifts have made a significant impact on the quality of programming and academic life that we offer, and that our student body is here, in part, because of your generosity.” Added to the top level of the Donor Wall was Amerikohl Mining Inc., which endowed a $1 million scholarship in memory of 2007 alumnus Steelyn G. Kanouff. On hand were Amerikohl representatives John Stilley, owner and president, sons Jake and Jamie, and Todd Fiedor; Steelyn’s parents, Gary and Ramona, and his fiancee, Hailey Fink. (Earlier in the day, during a brief and bittersweet ceremony at the Schneebeli Earth Science Center, Gilmour introduced the first recipient from the scholarship fund: Forrest S. Martin, a diesel technology student from Greencastle.) Many of the donors are participating in the Penn College Scholarship Campaign, a multiyear initiative that coincides with the college’s 2014 Centennial. “I am pleased to inform you that this campaign has raised over $5.3 million in scholarship support through gifts, pledges and planned gifts,” the president noted. “This additional support means that, in 2014-15, the Penn College Foundation will be able to more than double the amount of scholarship support provided to students prior to the start of the campaign in 2011.” Joining the Ambassador’s Society were Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Brentwood Industries, Computer Designs, Dennis and Verna Correll, Bruce and Cindy Emig, Anita Gibbons, Hudock Moyer Wealth Resources, the Family of Jacob D. Parkes, Schneider Electric, Sikorsky Aerospace Services, Al and Judy Styrcula, Waste Management and Watsontown Brick. Added to the Heritage Society roster were American Gas Association and UGI Utilities. Moving into the Heritage Society were Brubacher Excavating Inc. and Patricia Shoff Rambo (a faculty retiree and 1994’s Master Teacher); rising into the Visionary Society were EcoSave Automation, Tuck and Marilyn Frazier, FTS International, Honeywell, M&T Bank, The College Store and the West Branch Susquehanna Builders Association.

A western Pennsylvania mining company has established a $1 million scholarship fund at Pennsylvania College of Technology to honor an alumnus employee who died July 31 while working in his beloved field of equipment repair.

Amerikohl Mining Inc. and its owner and president, John Stilley, endowed the fund in memory of Steelyn G. Kanouff, who graduated in 2007 with an associate degree in heavy construction equipment technology: technician emphasis. An Indiana County workplace accident claimed the life of the 28-year-old Kanouff, a heavy equipment technician with the Butler-based company.

“Steelyn’s passing was a horrible tragedy for all of us at Amerikohl Mining. We will all miss him terribly. I could not have asked nor hoped for a more dedicated and competent employee,” Stilley said. “From his first day on the job, Steelyn exhibited a positive attitude, a work ethic second to none, a thorough understanding of his job and responsibilities, and, most importantly, a contagious team spirit that permeated across all levels and made us all better – both professionally and personally.”

Affirming a nearly 20-year-old partnership, the Caterpillar Foundation and a network of regional dealers recently delivered $146,000 in support of three academic programs based at Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Schneebeli Earth Science Center.

“Having Caterpillar Inc. and its dealers support our programs and students to this level each year helps affirm the fact that we are delivering an education that serves not only our students but the future of the industry, as well,” said Mary A. Sullivan, executive director of the Earth Science Center and assistant dean of transportation and natural resources technologies.

A consortium of Cleveland Brothers Equipment Co. Inc., Ransome CAT, H.O. Penn Machinery Inc. and Alban Tractor Co. Inc. donated $73,000 to help students in the college’s diesel technology, heavy construction equipment technology and on-site power generation majors. An identical total in matching funds was provided through the Caterpillar Excellence Fund, comprising the Caterpillar Foundation and the dealers.

Qualified students in diesel- and heavy machinery-related majors at Pennsylvania College of Technology’s Schneebeli Earth Science Center may benefit from yearly awards through a scholarship fund established by Highway Equipment & Supply Co.

“Highway Equipment is pleased to provide this support to a program that has been one of our key sources of technical staff for over 20 years,” said William J. Flood, chairman of the company’s board of directors.

Cleveland Brothers is in the midst of a workshop for secondary and postsecondary diesel instructors, providing them an opportunity to learn about the latest developments with Caterpillar equipment. During training that ends Friday at Penn College’s Schneebeli Earth Science Center, the instructors are exploring topics such as Tier 4 emissions interim, troubleshooting and failure analysis, as well as gaining insight into how those technologies can be incorporated into their classrooms. “I appreciate the investment that Cleveland Brothers is providing for us at the grass-roots level of education,” said Jack Neidig, a SUN Vo-Tech instructor (who also teaches a Penn College NOW dual-enrollment course at his school). “It is important that those of us teaching in the technical fields have access to upgraded training.” Dan Johnson, a trainer for Caterpillar, said, “We enjoy the opportunity to provide instruction on the latest and greatest that Caterpillar has to offer. We want them to take this back into their classrooms and enlighten the students on the constantly changing standards within industry.” Twenty instructors participated in the weeklong event, with Penn College diesel equipment technology faculty joining high school teachers from throughout the state.Photos by Carol A. Lugg, coordinator of matriculation and retention, School of Natural Resources Management

Undeterred by clouds and May showers, area middle schoolers took part in SMART (Science and Math Applications in Real-world Technologies) Girls workshops at Penn College’s Schneebeli Earth Science Center on Tuesday. In its 13th year, SMART Girls – coordinated by the Outreach for K-12 office – is designed to encourage a strong foundation in high school math and sciences and to expose participants to career options in emerging technologies. The visitors to the Allenwood area campus experienced a variety of majors offered through the college’s School of Natural Resources Management, including heavy construction equipment technology and forest technology.Photos by Carol A. Lugg, coordinator of matriculation and retention, School of Natural Resources Management